Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

A work that sweeps across the senses, Dragon Ladies Don't Weep is a sonic portrait of new music icon Margaret Leng-Tan - an evocative exploration of memory, time, control and loss.
New York-based Singaporean pianist Tan forged a path as a major force within the American avant-garde, serving as muse for such giants as John Cage and George Crumb, and transforming the toy piano into a serious instrument. Her stellar career is a touchstone for the past 40 years of experimental musical innovation.
Dragon Ladies Don't Weep combines spoken and recorded text, projected images and original music for prepared piano, toy piano, toys and percussion by Tan's long-term collaborator Erik Griswold.
Created by a team of Singaporean and Australian artists, including director Tamara Saulwick, video designer Nick Roux, and dramaturg Kok Heng Leun, and performed by Tan, this cross-cultural collaboration is an evocative collage of the forces that have shaped Tan's life and how music has been both her passion and her refuge.

Work Details

Year: 2020

Instrumentation: Prepared piano, toy piano, miniature music boxes, percussion.

Duration: 47 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Contents note: I. Obsessive Precision -- II. The moon is bright -- III. This Counting Thing -- IV. The Secret Room -- V. Dragon Lady Calling -- VI. One -- VII. Fours and threes -- VIII. A little winter music -- IX. On the move - X. Wearing Treads in the Carpet of My Mind -- XI. Transcendence.

Commission note: Created for Margaret Leng Tan in collaboration with Chamber Made and CultureLink Singapore.

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc in relation to this work:
Toy Piano, John Cage, George Crumb.